Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:37:00 -0600
From: dnrock@rock.com
Subject: Arden 78

Arden
By:  dnrock(dnrock@rock.com)


78: Preparations and New Ideas

1320, 6th month, 17th day

Today we received an answer to Kastor's Cairo letter.  It was as expected,
saying nothing.  They claimed no knowledge of this and stated that once
ships left their ports they were not responsible for their actions.  They
thanked us for the list of dead and captured which will be forwarded to
Tripoli.  Perhaps someone there had knowledge of these men and ships.

Kastor will reply that we understand this position.  He will then simply
say, given that they are unable or unwilling to control these privateers,
once they leave their ports, that we assume Cairo will have no objection
for us doing so.  That may mean attacking them, in what they consider to be
a safe haven, ports under Cairo's control.  The use of Cairo's ports must
come at some price.  It would seem to us that part of that price could or
should be staying out of Parga's waters and respect for Parga's flag.

One would think that cheaper by far better than destruction and capture.
Parga fully intends to seek out and destroy these privateers.  We do not
intend to do so in Cairo controlled ports without their agreement.  We were
sure they would certainly not agree to this; it will get the attention
required.


1320, 6th month, 18th day

I am just overwhelmed by all the wonderful male bodies I am privileged to
see every day.  Not all are the ideal form.  I am not quite sure what that
is.  I have read and observed.  We all know how the artists and sculptures
portray the human form, idealized for the gods or heros.  I know I am much
taller then the ideal.  I have very broad shoulders and well formed rounded
buttocks, bulging muscles in my arms and legs as well as a narrow middle.
All conform to the ideal.

I am lean and seem not to have any fat on my body.  I think that is a
result of the height and my running.  Others are different.  I think three
groups can be defined.  The very thin and angular.  Kastor and Polydukes
are examples of this.  They seem not to have any fat.  They are strong but
must work hard to have bulging muscles.  They can eat and never seem to
gain additional mass.  Iason, is an example of the rounded form.  He too is
fit and strong.  He has a bit of fat on his body especially around his
middle and in his buttocks and will gain so if he eats to much.  There is
the middle ground, his father is a good example of that, he is well
proportioned and fits the ideal well.  He must either work or limit his
eating not to gain to much in the middle or his buttocks.  He too is taller
than the average but not nearly as tall as I am.  Others are quite short
such as Uncle Iason.  He is in the middle like Father but shorter than
average.  I think I too am in the middle.  If we take all of the men in our
family, including the guardians, they would all fall into one of these
three groups.  Within each group is a range of heights and therefore
weights.

The women are the same.  One must correct or consider if they have had
children and how many.  Women with many children seem to have much wider
hips and larger buttocks then those with none or few.  They tend to be on
average shorter then men.  None are as tall as me but some are as tall as
Father.  That seems to be their extreme as I am an extreme for men.  I know
we have some solders that are shaped like Iason but are as tall as Father
they are huge men.  We have a few that are as tall as Father and are shaped
like Kastor.  Several of our stewards are example.

I believe Lysandros will be like me and probably as tall as Father.  He is
already as tall as Nikias and still only a boy.  I conclude we have three
general body shapes and each has a range of heights.  The average height in
our family is five and 1/2 feet.  The range including me is from 6 and 1/2
feet to four and 1/2 feet.

My arms and legs are very long but in the same proportions as those of
shorter men.  Heights and limb proportions do not change with general shape
types.  That is true for hip circumference and shoulder width.  One must
take care in how these are measured, as the occupation and sports
activities of a person adds muscle mass to these areas, as well as the
circumference of the chest.  Penis length does not seem related to overall
size but the length of the foot and area of the hand does.

Hygonis has been exceptionally close to me of late.  I think the prospect
of my sailing and his staying here is upsetting him.  I would have him
accompany me as would the other princes there personal aids.  Given their
need for education and training it is best they stay behind.  He also has
much work in the tax department.

Kastor has now received letters from all the places we are to visit.  He
has worked out a list of people we are to visit at each place and developed
a list of diplomatic objectives for each.  It is important that we all know
what these are.


1320, 6th month, 22nd day

Yesterday was sports day.  I think it was the most successful since I have
been a prince.  Stephnos assisted us older princes as all the others were
taking part in some sport or another.  I could see he looked longly at
several wanting to participate.  I could see from his adjustment screws
that day will not be as far away as I had first thought.  He told me that
he had mastered the Greek Bow and was now trying short long bow, sword and
shield as well as horseshoes.

Horseshoes is not so much a sport as a game but it does take strength and
skill to be good.  Stephnos tells me he can do any game or sport that
allows him to stand in a fixed position.  He throws daggers and darts as
well as metal disks with blades that protrude from them; Wan Yuan had shown
him these things.  He told Stephnos they came from Japan and were called
Shurikens, which means dagger in the hand or sword hidden in the hand.  Wan
had told him they were used to slash in close quarters or could be thrown.
Much like a dagger is used.  I must ask Wan about this place called Japan.
I have never heard of it.

(TN: Wikipedia tells us: "Iron plates or rings for shoes may have been
nailed on horses' feet in Western Asia and Eastern Europe as early as the
second century BCE, though there is very little evidence for the nailed
horseshoe prior to CE 600.  Nonetheless, there is a theory that the camp
followers of the Grecian armies, who could not afford the discus, took
discarded horseshoes, set up a stake and began throwing horseshoes at it."
Others that the solders in those armies used this game for recreation and
skill development.)

All of our boys and men did very well.  Myron, Dios, Thoren and Hilarus all
winning one or more running events.  All of my records still stand,
several, in the shorter distances, are in great danger.  I think this is
wonderful.  I am most proud of Thoren as he competes against sighted
runners not the other blind athletes, this time he won two distances.

Along with the athletic events, Kleitos and Mitidies gave a demonstration
of their newest animal training success.  They have taken several Molossian
dogs, used by shepherds and farmers.  I have seem them pulling small carts
on farms in Koalhurst.  Trained them to lead or assist the blind.  These
are very large and powerful animals.  They are surprisingly gentle with the
families and flocks they protect, and most farce with wolves or humans that
intruders or threaten.

Kelitos has selected the smallest from several litters.  These litters were
from animals known for their gentle nature.  He has then bread them,
producing a variety of Molossian that is almost white in color, with the
shape of its ancestors but about 3/4 the average size.  He then trains them
from small puppies for the specific tasks needed to assist the blind.  This
training lasts for about two years.  The dogs are then given to their new
masters.  He further trains both the master and the dog to work together.

This afternoon he had his first group of dogs and blind men demonstrating
these skills.  The dog will guide the master around puddles or holes, up
and down stairs, around corners, through a crowd or group, around obstacles
and so on.  The animals pay no attention to other dogs, cats, or even
rabbits.  They also ignore other humans, especially children who dearly
love to pet animals and tend to run up to them.

I would have thought Thoren would have been one of the first to receive a
dog.  He refused Kelitos' offer saying, "I can get around fine, it would be
better to give freedom to those who lack it."  Kelitos is training a
special animal for him.  One that is more normal in size and will work well
with the new horse he is also training.

"Arden, Alesxo is getting very old and I fear will not live much longer.  I
have a wonderful six year old gelding, Alesxo the Second, being prepared
for him.  His dog has been working with this horse since it was a small
puppy.  I have trained the dog to ride on Alesxo's back, that way the horse
is more accustomed to a rider that does not use the reigns.  They are great
friends and share the same stall.  I think both will be ready by the fall.

Why would you train a special dog for Thoren if he does not desire one?
"When Karyakos learned Thoren had refused, he came to me and asked that I
do this.  He said, `Thoren would not accept a dog until every other blind
person who wanted one had been served.  He can not refuse a personal gift
from the King?'  Now you must keep this confidence, it is to be a
surprise."

Who supports the cost of this dog training, I do not remember it in any
budgets?

"The dogs come from the Palace kennels, the food from my animal budget and
the training is paid for by Prince Karyakos from his personal treasure.
The Eagles distribute the animals and help to train the blind to use them.
You remember those two boys Throen brought to the Castle with Stephons.
They now work under my direction and provide most of the care and training
for the young dogs.  Karyakos gives me the money to pay them.  A number of
Argonauts volunteer to help also."

How did you requite them?  I thought they were very unhappy to be here.
"They were the first day or two but by the end of the week both boys had a
change of heart.  At the time they came we had a large number of colts and
puppies and no shortage to kittens either.  The young animals seemed to
attach themselves to these two.  I think they became attached to them as
well.  When Thoren came to see them off, at the end of the week, they
simply did not want to go.  Thoren refused to take the money owed, saying
they had earned it and obviously learned the lesson he had wanted.  On
seeing this I sent Mitidies to seek advice.  He returned with Karyakos.
Once he determined the situation, struck a deal."

I think there is a lesson for us in this Kelitos, I am not sure I know what
it is.

"Arden it is simply that some times our animals are better judges of
character than we are.  Karyakos did not know they would make excellent
trainers of dogs for the blind.  He did know they had earned a chance to
prove themselves.  Like so many we have give opportunity to, these two have
exceeded our expectations.  You can not imagine the pride in their voices
and on their faces when they say, "we train animal eyes for the blind."  It
is a claim few others anywhere can make."

Kelitos is correct.  It is a claim few others in the world can make.  It is
something to be proud of.  They have pride in the results, in having given
service to ones fellow men and in doing what few others do or have ever
done.  I think the lesson is greater however.  I think Father teaches me
too.  He reminds me others can and do have the same skills as I.  That a
little humility on my part would not be a bad thing.  That the greatest
satisfaction, is knowing you are doing the right thing, even if few or none
know about it.

I am sure Uncle had no clear idea of what would result when he commissioned
Kelitos to look at other ways animals could be used to assist those with
incapacities or infirmities.  We have used animals such a dogs for as long
as we have been a people.  Dogs hunt, heard, guard, cary and pull loads and
sometimes supervise children.  They are often our companions.  None of this
is new.  What is new is the highly specialized training for this specific
task.  If dogs can be trained to be eyes why not ears?  I suggested this to
Kelitos.  He thought it worthy and would institute just such a trial.

I have seen Lysandros and Helidos using hand signals to communicate with
each other and their friends.  These boys picked up many from the sailors;
who used them to signal each other for setting sails and other things.
Each gesture has a specific meaning, a word, or phrase.

The pages have their own signaling language.  It is not extensive but
allows us to summon each other, get assistance, signal assignments and so
on.

I wonder if the deaf can learn to speak with their hands.  I know many deaf
do use gestures or sign language to communicate with each other.  These
signs are not common across Parga, only locally significant where several
deaf people may frequently interact with each other.  These hearing dogs
would need to learn just such a signaling system.  I know that hunting dogs
are often trained to hand signals perhaps they will make the best hearing
dogs.

If deaf people were all to learn the same set of signals then all could
communicate, not only with each other but with their hearing counterparts
that also learn the signs.  Even Socrates has commented that the deaf
communicate with gestures as communication is fundamental to all men.
Those that are deaf from birth never learn to speak or use their voices.
That we know from observation.

I wonder if the deaf could be taught to speak Greek with their hands.  Why
not have signs to represent specific words, phrases or ideas.  If we think
about it the letters of the alphabet could also have each a special sign,
so things like names could be spelled.  Let me see: if I hold up a fist
with the thumb pointed up it could represent Alpha, the thumb and first
finger held up together Beta, the thumb and first finger spread apart Gamma
and so on... Arden could then be: A, thumb up; R, thumb and fifth finger
down; D, first and second finger together and up; E, first and second
finger spread apart; N, second and fourth finger together and down.

This could be taught in special schools.  In addition to the signs the
sailors use, say the palm pressed open against the heart could mean love
and then if the hand is moved outward, Love you, or if pointed, love him,
her or that, and if pointed at the speaker, love self.  The fist pressed
against the heart could mean hard hearted, or mean, or depending on
context, difficult.  This could allow for the construction of sentences.
Punctuation and added meaning could be provided by facial expression.
Hands can be used left or right and both.  I will speak to Odo about this.
If anyone knows how to use language it is he.

It can never be Greek in the fullest sense but a language all of its own,
based on Greek.  Perhaps if a skilled hearing person knew the language,
then Thoren's stories could be told to the deaf using it.  Would that not
be wonderful?  Would that not also be most ironic, the blind telling
stories to the deaf, and the reverse, the deaf telling the blind how they
enjoyed it.  I immediately went to find Odo and Umar.  Odo thought all of
these signs and gestures needed to be drawn.  Making a book of words for
sign language.  Odo and Umar went to the university to see if anyone in the
language studies was interested.

We had the most wonderful sex today.  Not that all sex is not wonderful.  I
lay on my back folding my long legs against my body.  This places my knees
at my shoulders.  Iason slipped his large penis into me and leaned forward
pressing his shoulders against my lower legs.  Nikias then stood over my
face and I was able to take his member into my mouth and throat.  Quickly
Hy slid up to Nikias who began taking his erection into his mouth and Dios
entered Iason's anus.  Once they had expended, Akakios squatted over my
erection taking my ejaculation into himself.  I must say I was completely
spent.  Following our baths Iason and I found a quiet place to express our
love with much kissing and fondling; some times love is best expressed
without sex, just holding him or her to yourself.  We lay together pressing
out bodies together as we are fond of doing, letting ourselves meld into
one.

The younger boys all seemed to find a man to fuck them; our apartment was
heavy with the fragrance of sex as we dressed for our evening meal.  Food,
shelter and sex are the three most important needs for any man, commodities
we never seem to lack.  Even Umar and Lysandros were given satisfaction if
only by Herkliedies' fingers.  For a small in stature man he has very large
hands with long, thick fingers.  His favorite sex partners seems to be
Dysme and Ikoras.  He services the younger boys willingly and frequently.
Often he has five or six lined up for this pleasure activity.  Given our
culture and their obvious desires, I am sure Umar and Lysandros will feel
one or more of our penises before our coming journey is completed.  Now
that Helo has matured sufficiently I am confident he will accommodate them.


1320, 6th month, 24nd day

We will leave in just a few days; now that both babies are born and our
letters of invitation, have all returned.  Our group is just slightly
larger and a number of senior Argonauts have been included in the ranks of
the marines.  The younger boys are all becoming uncontrollable with
anticipation.

It is quite interesting to see that other states are less advanced then us,
in providing postal service to their citizens.  England and France, as do
others, have royal services and privet couriers.  In most of these states,
if we wish to correspond with the government our postal service can get the
correspondence to and from.  If we need correspond with our Ambassador,
council or privet citizen the postal service must use couriers. The most
efficient way then is to send the correspondence to Venice and courier from
there; since ships pass to and from Venice on a daily bases.  The most
efficient way would be for our postal service to connect with other postal
services if they existed.

Princess class ships would be very efficient for this purpose but the
amount of correspondence is to small to justify it.

Apparently no one at the university is interested in working with us on
this sign language business.  Kastor, Poly, Joulous, and Justus are all
keen.  I was not aware but the twins had worked out this kind of
communication between themselves long ago.  I guess twins just do that kind
of thing.  On more careful inspection of their communication they usually
speak but gesture at the same time.  Now we all tend to do that so I just
never noticed that their gestures cary more meaning and are highly
consistent.  Kastor and Poly's gestures are not quite the same as Justus
and Joulous.  My brothers also tend to mix their internal signals with the
general gestures and arm waving we all tend to do.

They are taking my hand spelling idea and the signals used by sailors and
others in our society along with their own signals to try and create some
kind of consistent language that can be standardized and taught.  Nikias
thinks we will have much time on the ships to work many of these details
out and if Umar and his art tutor will do the sketching, along with him and
Hellidos we should make a good start on this.

Kastor wants to devide the sign language into groups of signals.  Spelling
and counting, ideas, objects and things, actions and emotions.  He thinks
adjectives and adverbs can also be added.  For the beginning he feels
simple declarative and question structures, without cases or gender, would
be best.  Justus thinks we need to deal with tense, he feels that the left
hand could be used at the beginning of a sentence or thought to indicate
past, present, or future as well as number.

Odo believes that cases will develop over time or at least some kind of
signal, perhaps facial expressions, will be needed since the way we talk to
or about children, lovers and pets is not how we talk to or about princes
and knights.  He suggests that will develop over time and agrees that for
now we should not look to have a formal and familiar.  He thinks tone of
voice for example needs to be done by facial expression.

One of the the examples he used is the navel gesture for hurry or quickly.
It is a common gesture used by many hearing people as well.  The palm is
presented up, more or less flat and the right hand is raised up and down.
The speed requested is relative to the quickness and number of times.  If
extreme quickness is needed both hands are used together.  If a smile is
given it would mean the comment, hurry up or get to it, as we often say to
one another, more in fun than demand.  If a frown is used it is a demand or
requirement, if no expression a normal request.

I can not understand how it is but it is.  We are all continually engaged
in sex and with the same group of people and yet we never tire of it.  Not
only do we never seem to tire but to each of us the other is both familiar
and new at the same time.  We never seem to tire of examining each other as
if one is to change or find an unexpected treasure.  Except for the young
boys, no change of significance is ever found, a continual treasure is
always secured.  I will kiss ever part of my partner over and over as if
every portion is new to me.  Our boys are smooth and without hair but some
of us men have much on our bodies.  I am in the middle I have some hair on
my chest, legs, and arms.  I have a goodly growth around my pubis.  This I
have trimmed.  Ikoras and Dysme have no hair on their bodies and they have
their pubis shaved, they are like boys.